Apparatus for ejecting empty cases



April 7, 1964 R. M. BURTON 3,127,721

APPARATUS FOR EJECTING EMPTY CASES Filed May 18, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV EN TOR.

R441 M. az/erwv 2M" (SP-404% A 7 TOR/V4015 April 7, 1964 BURTON 3,127,721

APPARATUS FOR EJECTING EMPTY CASES Filed May 18, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 i rfi1 I E INVENTORQ 73 fi l l BYAAlPA/ M. EURI'O/V m E 6% a 62$ A ril 7, 1964 R. M. BURTON 3,127,721

APPARATUS FOR EJECTING EMPTY CASES Filed May 18, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

@442 M. aww'a/v ii 52m 6 PM p v, 1964 R. M. BURTON 3,127,721

APPARATUS FOR EJECTING EMPTY CASES Filed May 18, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 O c 4 o I 4:431 0 Q d I I 0 a O 1 RI 0 u 0 INVENTOR. 4847 k3 R4119 M 450E717 United States Patent Ofifice 3,127,721 APPARATUS FOR EJECTIN G EMPTY CASES Ralph M. Burton, Grosse Pointe, Mich, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Cesco Container Mfg. Corp., Northampton, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed May 18, 1961, Ser. No. 111,055 2 Claims. (1. 53-53) This invention relates to a device for handling cases or crates, and in particular to such a device operable to automatically eject an empty case or crate from a moving line of cases on a conveyor, of which most of the cases are filled with bottles or the like. As used herein, the term bottle is a generic expression covering containers made of glass, paper, plastic, metal or the like which contain food, beverages or any substance desired to be so packaged. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention herein shown and described conventional milk bottles and milk bottle cases are the containers being handled; it is understood that they are shown only by way of example.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device operable to detect the presence of an empty case or crate among a line of filled cases moving along a conveyor, and eject the empty case from the conveyor.

The invention is shown in the appended drawings as embodied in a device adapted to be used in conjunction with a bottle packaging machine to eject cases which have passed through the packaging machine without having been filled with bottles. Attention is invited to U.S. Patent No. 2,898,715 of Bottle Packaging Machine, with which the device is designed to operate. The machine disclosed in said patent is one for continuously receiving a succession of bottles and a succession of bottle cases and automatically filling each case with the required number of bottles. A triform conveyor carries the bottles into a bottle-indexing station in the machine. At the same time empty bottle cases are being fed to the machine on another conveyor. One by one the cases are moved into a bottle-receiving position at a case-positioning station. A bottle carrier disposed for movement between the bottle-indexing station and the case-positioning station is adapted to grip bottles and carry them toward and into an awaiting case. The filled case then moves on its conveyor out of the machine and an empty case takes its place and the operation is repeated.

It is therefore a particular object of the invention to provide a device operable to eject empty cases from a conveyor leading from a bottle packaging machine within which the cases have been rejected due to improper seating or" the bottles within a case in the machine.

In line with the above, a further object of the invention is the provision of a device operable to eject an empty case from a conveyor, which device is responsive to the operation of a case reject mechanism in a bottle packaging machine to eject a case which has been rejected by the machine.

The provision of the bottle packaging machine disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,898,715 has served to make the bottle filling and casing operations completely automatic. One objection, however, attendant to the use of automatic packaging machines is that the empty cases which have been rejected by the machine are carried by the case conveyor into the storage area for filled cases. These empty cases, of course, take up valuable storage space. in addition, these empty cases must be later sorted out and removed from the storage area by hand. With the provision of the case ejecting device disclosed herein, empty cases passing from the packaging machine are automatically ejected from the case conveyor, eliminating the necessity of manual removal. Thus any cases which are not filled with bottles by the bottle pack- 3,127,721 Patented Apr. 7, 1964 aging machine are disposed of, and only full cases are allowed to remain on the case conveyor leading to the storage area.

Other objects, advantages and meritorious features will more fully appear from the specification, claims and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a case eject device embodying the invention and showing a bottle packaging machine in conjunction with which the device is adapted to operate;

FIG. 2 is an end view of a portion of the bottle packaging machine taken along line 22' of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the case ejecting de vice taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic wiring diagram of the case ejecting device and includes the wiring circuit of the bottle packaging machine with which the device is used.

In order to facilitate description of the device embodying the invention, I have shown the device in con junction with a bottle packaging machine with which it may be used. Although the invention is not restricted to such use it is particularly well adapted for ejecting empty cases which have been rejected by the bottle packaging machine.

Referring to FIG. 1, after the bottles have been filled and capped they enter the bottle packaging machine 10 in rows along a triform bottle conveyor 12. At the same time a succession of empty cases enter the machine 10 along a case conveyor 14. The bottles are fed along the conveyor 12 until they are positioned directly under a bottle carrier 16. When a suflicient number of bottles have been accumulated under the carrier 16 a circuit is energized and gripping mechanism in the carrier grips a caseload of bottles. When the bottles have been gripped, the fluid pressure cylinder 22 operates through piston rod 24 to slide the carrier 16 along guideways 18 and 2th to a position directly over an awaiting case positioned on conveyor 14.

The cases are fed into the machine along conveyor 14 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1. When the lead case enters the machine it is engaged upon a case-supporting and positioning station (not shown) where it is positioned to receive a caseload of bottles. As the carrier 16 is shifted from the position shown in FIG. 1 toward the fluid pressure cylinder 22 it passes from guideways 18 and 26 to a similar pair of guideway extensions 26 and 28 which are positioned directly over the awaiting case. These guideways 26 and 28 are a part of a carriage generally indicated at 34) in FIG. 1, and shown in more detail in FIG. 2. The carriage 39 supports the bottle carrier 16 for vertical movement to and from the cases on the case conveyor 14.

As shown in FIG. 2 the carriage 30 is mounted for vertical slidable movement on posts 32 and 34. Suspended from the underside of carriage 30 is a yoke 36, mounted on a vertical piston rod 38, which is received within a fluid pressure cylinder 40. Upon downward movement of the piston rod 38 the yoke and carriage move downwardly, carrying the bottle carrier 16 toward an awaiting case. In order to tie the yoke and carriage together but still permit relative shiftable movement therebetween, in the event that a bottle suspended from the carriage should strike an obstacle in the crate toward which the carrier is moving, thereby interrupting downward movement of the carriage, a pair of pins or the like 42 are received upwardly through hearings in the carriage. The pins extend upwardly above the carriage wherein suitable means, such as nuts 44, are threaded on the pins to prevent them from dropping out of the carriage. The nuts 44 also serve to slightly compress springs 46 which are received over the pins 42 to bear against the carriage. In the event a bottle should strike an obstruction upon lowering of the carrier into a case, the relative movement between the yoke 36 and the carriage 30 caused thereby results in the momentary actuation of switch L843, and the caseload of bottles is withdrawn from the case without being deposited. The operation of this case reject mechanism will be more fully described hereinafter.

Shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 is a case ejecting device 48 which embodies the instant invention. The ejector is shown positioned adjacent the downstream conveyor 5% leading from the bottle packaging machine it As a case C passes from the machine it is carried along the conveyor 50 between guiderails 52 and 54 past the case ejecting device 48.

In order to eject empty cases from conveyor 56, there is provided a case pusher 56 mounted on a pair of horizontally extending posts 58. A supporting plate 60 carries four bearings 62 through which the posts 58 extend. Plate 63 is supported on legs 64 bolted to the conveyor frame 66. Mounted substantially centrally of pusher 55 is a piston rod 68 which is received within a fluid pressure cylinder 70, the cylinder being held in place on the plate 60 by a bracket 72. Fluid pressure is supplied to the cylinder 70 by means of lines 74 and '75 controlled by a valve V As shown in FIG. 1 the pusher 56 is of substantially L-shaped configuration having a portion 78 extending perpendicularly to thecase conveyor 56. When the pusher 56 is actuated to push a case from conveyor 5t? the portion 78 extends transversely across the conveyor and serves to block subsequent cases from entering the conveyor during the ejecting operation. A platform 8t) may be provided onto which the ejected cases may be pushed. However, many other different constructions could be used. For instance, cases could be pushed onto a chute or a slanting platform that sloped away toward the floor, or a large receptacle could be provided to contain the ejected cases. There could even be provided an additional conveyor placed adjacent conveyor 56) which would transport the ejected cases to any desired location.

When it is desired to eject an empty case C from the conveyonan electrical circuit is completed, shifting valve V to a position admitting fluid pressure through line 74 to the rear of fluid pressure cylinder '70. The fluid pressure pushes piston rod 68 out of the cylinder 70 and causes the pusher 56, slidably supported on bearings 62, to contact the case C and push it across the conveyor 50 onto the platform 80. As the pusher 56 moves across the conveyor, the portion 78 is carried to a position extending directly across the conveyor 50, and acts as a fence to block the entry of following cases into interfering relation with the case ejector 48. When piston rod 68 reaches the outer limit of its stroke, switch LS-14 is opened, breaking the electrical circuit to valve V As the valve V is spring-loaded, interruption of the circuit causes the valve to shift to the position admitting fluid pressure through line 76 to the front end of cylinder 70, retracting piston rod 68 and returning the pusher 56 to its normal position.

The operation of the case ejecting device will be described in conjunction with the electric control circuits diagrammatically shown in FIG. 5 as well as the location and arrangement of some of the various electric limit switches. The electric switches, relays, and valves herein shown are of conventional construction. Only that part of the machine wiring shown in FIG. 5 necessary to fully set forth the operation of the case ejecting device will be described. The function of the remaining portions are shown and set forth clearly in US. Patent No. 2,898,715, and further discussion is deemed unnecessary. The reference numerals applied to FIG. 5 of the drawings are identical to those numerals used to indicate similar parts in the Patent No. 2,898,715.

The schematic wiring diagram of FIG. 5 shows a step down transformer 540 to reduce 220 v. to 110 v. A

manually operated switch 542 may be provided for the 110 v. control circuit. To start the machine 10, the switch 542 is closed to energize leads 544 and 546. The bottles are moved into the machine 10 along triform conveyor 12 to a position under the bottle carrier 16. When a caseload of bottles has accumulated under the carrier, they are gripped and carried by the carrier toward an awaiting case, supported in the carrier 16 by the yoke 36 suspended from carriage 30.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 5, when the carriage 30 and yoke 36 descend, carrying a caseload of bottles to an awaiting case, the carriage 3h rides downwardly along posts 32 and 34. Mounted on the machine 10 in a convenient location and positioned as shown in FIG. 2 is switch LS9 having a switch arm 96 provided with a roller 92 at its outer end. LS-9 is a normally closed switch adapted to be opened upon depression of arm 96 by a trip pin or the like. As the bottle carrier moves downwardly and the bottles enter the awaiting case the trip pin approaches roller 92. If the bottles enter the case to within substantially one-quarter inch of the floor of the case, the pin strikes roller 92, shifting arm 9:) to open switch LS-9. When switch LS9 is opened, the time delay solenoid TD and the relay solenoid G, both previously energized, are de-energized. Thereupon the time delay relay switch TDR and the relay switches GRl, GR3 and GR4 are opened, and relay switch GR2 is closed. As shown in FIG. 5, this serves to deenergize valve solenoid 550 and energize valve solenoid 552 of fluid pressure valve V which controls the bottle gripping bars (not shown). The above sequence opens the bottle grippers and allows deposit of the bottles into the awaiting case. When relay switch GR3 opens as above, relay solenoid T is de-energized, which controls fluid pressure valve V This valve controls pressure to fluid pressure cylinder 40 (FIG. 2). When T is de-energized, relay switches TR1 and TRZ open and close respectively, de-energizing valve solenoid 594 and energizing valve solenoid 596, which supplies fluid pressure to the lower end of cylinder 40, to raise the bottle carrier away from the filled case.

When relay switch GR2 is closed by the opening of switch LS-9 as above described, the relay solenoid J is energized. This in turn opens the relay switch I 1, assuring that valve solenoid 600 cannot be energized. This prevents operation of the case ejecting device, as more fully described herebelow.

The case reject portion of the circuit will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 5. If during the downward movement of the bottle carrier one or more of the bottles should strike an obstruction in the case, relative movement will be caused to occur between carriage 30 and yoke 36. Switch LS13 is mounted on the carriage 30 in any convenient manner, and positioned as shownin FIG. 2. The switch LS13 has an actuating arm 94 provided with a conventional roller 96 at the end thereof which abuts a trip pin 98 threaded through a laterally projecting ear 100 on yoke 36. LS-13 is shown in FIG. 5 as being a normally open switch which, upon closure, will energize relay solenoid R to efiect a closing of the normally open relay switch RR1. In the event a bottle should strike an obstruction in the case, the yoke 36 continues to move downwardly, and the obstruction causes interruption in the movement of the carriage 30. The yoke carries trip pin 98 down with it and away from roller 96 of switch LS-13, closing the switch. Energization of relay solenoid R by momentary closure of LS-13 closes relay contacts RR1 and opens relay contacts RR2. Upon opening of RRZ relay solenoid T is de-energized opening contacts TR1 and closing contacts TR2, in the lines which control valve V This valve controls fluid pressure cylinder 40. When T is deenergized, fluid pressure is admitted to the lower end of cylinder 40 and the bottle carrier is moved upwardly away from the rejected case. Thereafter the. rejected case is allowed to pass from the machine along conveyor 50 to be ejected by the ejecting device 49 as hereinafter described.

In the event the bottles enter the case a substantial distance, they will be released even if they do strike an obstruction. To accomplish deposit in this instance, what is commonly called secondary release is provided. Switch LS14 is mounted in the machine positioned as shown in FIG. 2. The switch has an actuating arm 102 with a semi-circular roller 104 on the outer end thereof. An arm 106 is secured to the underside of yoke 36 and carries a laterally extending trip pin 108. Semi-circular roller 104 is so positioned that pin 108 will brush past it upon downward movement of the yoke, but will engage it and pivot arm 102 to open switch LS14 upon upward movement of the yoke 36. Thus if the bottles descend into the case a distance sufiicient to allow pin 108 to assume a position below roller 104, the bottles will be deposited in the case even though bottle release switch LS-9 is not opened, and switch LS-13 is closed by a bottle striking an obstruction. FIG. shows LS14 in the same line as LS-9. Thus if either of these switches is momentarily opened, the bottles will be deposited, closing relay contacts GRZ, which energize relay solenoid J, in turn opening relay contacts J1, and preventing the case ejector from being operated by the valve V If neither switch LS-9 or switch LS-14 are opened, and relative movement closes LS-13, case reject will occur, as above described. Thus when the bottle carrier goes back up, relay solenoid G will still be energized, not having been de-ener'gized by opening of LS-9 or LS14, and consequently relay contacts GRZ will be open. With GR2 open, relay solenoid J will be de-energized, and therefore relay contacts J1 will be closed. This allows the case ejecting device to be operated. Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5, switch LS-16 is mounted adjacent the conveyor 50 in a convenient manner, such as by a bracket 110 secured to guide rail 54. Switch LS16 has an actuating arm 112 positioned in the path of case C proceeding from machine 10 along conveyor 50. As each case C contacts arm 112 it causes it to shift, closing switch LS-16. If case repect has occurred, momentary closing of LS16 will operate the case ejecting device 48 as follows.

Closing of switch LS-13 energizes relay solenoid R, closing contacts RR3, which in turn causes energization of relay solenoid X. When X is energized, relay contacts XRl and XR2 close. Relay contacts J1 have been previously closed by the de-energization of relay solenoid J. With XRl and J1 closed, the closing of switch LS-16 by case C completes the circuit to valve solenoid 600, shifting valve V to supply fluid pressure through line 74 to the rear of fluid pressure cylinder 70. This shifts piston rod 68, causing pusher 56 to push case C from the conveyor 50 onto the platform 80. The closing of switch LS-16 by the case C also serves to energize relay solenoid Y, closing relay contacts YR1, and providing a holding circuit to prevent de-energization of valve solenoid 600 until the pusher 56 completes its forward travel. Switch LS17 is mounted conveniently in the ejector 48 and has an actuating arm 114 carrying a roller 116 at the end thereof. As pusher 56 is shifted, the portion 78 is carried across the conveyor 50, blocking the entrance of following cases into the ejecting station. Portion 78 carries a laterally projecting finger 118 which contacts roller 116 shifting arm 114 and opening the normally closed switch LS17 just as the piston rod 68 reaches the outer limit of its stroke. Opening of switch LS17 de-energizes relay solenoid X, opening relay contacts XRl, which in turn de-energizes valve solenoid 600. As valve V is springloaded, it shifts to the position supplying fluid pressure to the front end of cylinder 70 through line 76, causing retraction of piston rod 68, returning pusher 56 to its normal position shown in FIG. 1.

It will be observed that if either switch LS9 or LS-14 is opened by the descending bottle carrier, the relay solenoid G is de-energized, and the bottles are deposited in the awaiting case. De-energization of solenoid G closes relay contacts GR2, which in turn energizes: relay sole noid J. With J energized by the opening of either LS-9 (bottle release) or LS14 (secondary release), relay contacts II will be opened, and solenoid 600 controlling valve V cannot be energized during that cycle of machine operation. This is true even if switch LS-13 does close during that cycle. Thus if the bottles are deposited, the case ejecting device 48 will not function to eject the full case.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for the purpose described comprising: a case-supporting station; a case conveyor along which cases are transported out of said case-supporting station; a bottle-accumulating station; transfer means operable between said stations to transfer bottles from the accumulating station to a case in the case-supporting station; case reject mechanism coupled to said transfer means responsive to the improper seating of a bottle in a case to cause the transfer means to withdraw such improperly seated bottle; said case-supporting station including means for releasing a case from the supporting station for movement along the case conveyor in response to the operation of said transfer means; a case ejector positioned adjacent the conveyor downstream of said case-supporting station, said case ejector comprising a reciprocable pusher shiftable laterally across said conveyor and motive means operably coupled to the pusher to shift the same; and an ejector control circuit coupled to said case ejector for operating the same and including a first part connected to the case reject mechanism to be actuated thereby and a second part disposed adjacent said case conveyor opposite said pusher to be actuated by a case on the conveyor in front of the pusher, said ejector control circuit operable in response to both the actuation of said first part and the subsequent actuation of said second part to energize said motive means for shifting the pusher across the conveyor to sweep a case therefrom.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said case reject mechanism includes a reject control circuit energized in response to the improper seating of a bottle in a case by the transfer means, and said first part of the ejector control circuit is connected in the reject control circuit to be actuated upon energization of the reject control circuit, and said first and second parts being connected together in series.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,116,895 Howard May 10, 1938 2,898,715 Cella Aug. 11, 1959 2,918,773 Krupp et a1 Dec. 29, 1959 2,922,519 Radley Jan. 26, 1960 2,991,879 Innocenti July 11, 1961 

1. APPARATUS FOR THE PURPOSE DESCRIBED COMPRISING: A CASE-SUPPORTING STATION; A CASE CONVEYOR ALONG WHICH CASES ARE TRANSPORTED OUT OF SAID CASE-SUPPORTING STATION; A BOTTLE-ACCUMULATING STATION; TRANSFER MEANS OPERABLE BETWEEN SAID STATIONS TO TRANSFER BOTTLES FROM THE ACCUMULATING STATION TO A CASE IN THE CASE-SUPPORTING STATION; CASE REJECT MECHANISM COUPLED TO SAID TRANSFER MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE IMPROPER SEATING OF A BOTTLE IN A CASE TO CAUSE THE TRANSFER MEANS TO WITHDRAW SUCH IMPROPERLY SEATED BOTTLE; SAID CASE-SUPPORTING STATION INCLUDING MEANS FOR RELEASING A CASE FROM THE SUPPORTING STATION FOR MOVEMENT ALONG THE CASE CONVEYOR IN RESPONSE TO THE OPERATION OF SAID TRANSFER MEANS; A CASE EJECTOR POSITIONED ADJACENT THE CONVEYOR DOWNSTREAM OF SAID CASE-SUPPORTING STATION, SAID CASE EJECTOR COMPRISING A RECIPROCABLE PUSHER SHIFTABLE LATERALLY ACROSS SAID CONVEYOR AND MOTIVE MEANS OPERABLY COUPLED TO THE PUSHER TO SHIFT THE SAME; AND AN 